Gluttonous youths plan to consume ultimate McDonald's supersize

You've heard of super-sizing at McDonald's. Now imagine super-duper-mega-crazy-nuts-o-sizing times 10.

A group of Vancouver-area youth plans to order $1,000 worth of McDonald's fries from Metrotown in Burnaby — about 350 large orders — and then gorge like pigs at a trough for a "Potato Party."

Potato Parties originated in Japan, according to Internet reports, and became a social media phenomenon after young people posted photos of fries strewn across multiple trays and tables.

Dietician Ali Chernoff of Nutrition at its Best called the idea of Potato Parties and the consumption of so much unhealthy food "outrageous."

"It will immediately have your heart working harder than normal," she wrote in an email.

"Studies show that eating too much bad fat at once as well can impact your pancreas so it is difficult to produce enough insulin which helps break down the food."

Mazdak Abbasi is one of the organizers of the Burnaby Potato Party. He is a Grade 12 student, enjoys playing sports and his favourite fry condiment is McChicken sauce.

On the way home from a basketball game last Friday, he and seven of his friends, inspired by photos from Japan, ordered $101 of fries. Photos of their impromptu Potato Party generated some buzz on Facebook, and now they are aiming for bigger things.

"I work out a lot and I also eat healthy foods, I don't eat at McDonald's often," he said. "Other than this we all exercise, we're all fit and everything."

George Shea, a spokesperson for Major League Eating, which organizes competitive eating events, said he has concerns around the safety of this "rogue, unsanctioned eating exhibition," and said his organization never encourages anyone under 18 to begin a career in competitive eating.

"The 'Harlem Shake' of eating events," he called it. "I believe it is not related to the competitive eating phenomenon, so much as ... a flashmob or something related to the Internet."

Even if this event is not up MLE's alley, Shea said Canada is due to produce a champion eater.

"I believe an international Canadian champion will rise, not from the ranks of high school students performing eating stunts, but from some of your great adult athletes. That's where I see it coming from," he said.

A spokesperson for McDonald's declined to comment on the Potato Party phenomenon.

McFacts

According to McDonald's own nutrition information, 350 large fries would contain:

175,000 calories (about 70 days worth for one person, according to Health Canada)